March 9, 2009 Lay A Way Begins

On March 9, 2009 Let's Be Prepared LLC will add a lay a way system to their existing list of payment methods. This system is designed to make it easier for lower income families to afford emergency supplies. We believe everyone should be prepared.

How to be Prepared with an Emergency Battery Charger

By anniewrites, eHow Member

Emergency Battery Charger

Be prepared with an emergency battery charger or two that will help to start your car or power your cell phone or other important device in a difficult situation. Make sure that you are not caught off guard in inclement conditions (possibly stranded with your children!) by taking a few minutes to think ahead and make sure that you have all of the necessary tools to keep you running in an emergency. Of course, we can't control all of the variables in an emergency, but it makes good sense to plan ahead for the things that we can control.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step 1: One very common emergency battery charger is the jumper cable. Most auto emergency kits come equipped with jumper cables. You can buy them separately, but since it's a good idea to have the other supplies in the emergency kit anyway, you might be able to save yourself some money by buying everything at once. Make sure that you know how to use your jumper cables. They should come with instructions, but make sure you study them ahead of time, as the last thing you want to do when your battery is dead is fumble around with instructions to figure out how things work.

Step 2: Another type of emergency battery charger can start your car without needing another car to give it a jump. Check into products such as StartMeUp2 which start your car by plugging into the cigarette lighter. They are generally single use, disposable, and easy to figure out. They can be a particularly good option for the elderly or other people who may have trouble working with jumper cables. Generally, this type of emergency battery charger runs about $20-$30.

Step 3: Don't forget to get an emergency battery charger to power necessary devices in the instance that your car battery is not what is causing the problem or you don't have a StartMeUp2 or similar device. There are solar emergency chargers on the market these days for around $20 that can make sure that you have somewhere to charge your cell phone so that you can call for help when you really need it. Many of these chargers are multi-function and can work with items that have a variety of different plugs, not just your cell phone.

Step 4: Now that you are armed with information that can help keep you powered up in the case of an emergency when you are in your car, take a few minutes to plan and gather an emergency battery charger or two that will help to keep your family safe when the unexpected occurs.

How to Find a Personal Emergency Alarm Whistle

By anniewrites, eHow Member

Personal Emergency Alarm Whistle

Making sure that you and your children have a personal emergency alarm whistle is an important part of emergency preparedness planning, as you never know when you will be in a situation where you will need to whistle for help. In this day and age, many people do not think that a whistle is necessary because we have cell phones. However, if you are in the wilderness trying to signal for a rescue team, or if your child is in trouble and does not have a cell phone, a personal emergency alarm, such as a whistle, can be of utmost importance.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step 1: If your family does not have an emergency survival kit, purchasing one can be an economical way to get a personal emergency whistle since you need the other items contained in the kit anyhow. Make sure to read the contents of the kit to see if it contains a whistle, but most kits do.
Step 2: If you already have an emergency survival kit for your family, you can purchase an additional personal emergency alarm whistle (or two) separately, and they tend to be relatively inexpensive at around $3 a piece. Many of these whistles are "5 in 1," meaning that in addition to being a whistle, they also function as a compass, mirror, flint, and storage container (for matches).
Step 3: Finally, if you only want a device that makes noise to call for help, you might consider purchasing a key chain alarm that emits a 118 decibel signal. This type of personal emergency alarm whistle can come in handy but you run the risk of it going off when you don't want it to, and it is also the most expensive at around $10.
Step 4: Armed with this information on how to choose a personal emergency alarm whistle, make sure that you and your children are prepared in case of the need to call for help without the use of a cell phone.

How to Gather Disposable Dust Masks for an Emergency

By anniewrites, eHow Member

Disposable Dust Masks

Make sure to include disposable dust masks in your emergency preparedness stash, as you never know when conditions will arise that make breathing risky. In an earthquake, hurricane, tornado, fire, or attack such as 9-11, materials that are hazardous to your health can be released into the air. It can be difficult to run for cover or help your children if you are gasping for air. Disposable dust masks are an inexpensive item that can help you with this problem. They are especially important for anybody that has asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, or other lung related diseases.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step 1: First, check to see if your emergency survival kit already contains disposable dust masks, and if so, how many. If you do not have an emergency survival kit, you ought to think about getting one in the right size for your purposes, as so many of the items you might need in a disaster are already included for you so that you do not have to think about every little detail of what you might need.

Step 2: Once you have determined how many disposable dust masks are already included in your emergency survival kit, determine if you might need additional masks. For instance, if your emergency survival kit contains 10 dust masks but you want enough to provide two dust masks a person to 20 people (so 40 dust masks), then you will need to purchase 30 additional dust masks.

Step 3: Finally, figure out what kind of disposable dust masks you would like to purchase. If your budget is short or you are buying masks for large numbers of people (like a church or school), then you will likely want to stick with the basic disposable dust masks that most emergency preparedness suppliers carry. They generally come in packs of five for under a dollar. This means that you could purchase the 40 disposable dust masks needed for 20 people for under $8. If you want something more heavy duty, a 20 pack of decent 3M dust masks runs about $33, or $66 for the 40 masks you would need to purchase for 20 people. Neither budget option is too shabby for the peace of mind that comes with knowing you will breathe easier during a disaster!

How to Know Why You Need Cleansing Towelettes for Emergencies

By anniewrites, eHow Member

Cleansing Towelettes

Cleansing towelettes may not be the first thing that you think of when you think of emergency preparedness, but they are included in most emergency survival kits for good reason. You should make sure that your emergency survival kit contains cleansing towelettes and also that you keep additional stock of them so that you have extras when you need them. You may already have some things around the house that will work for this purpose, such as Wet Ones, or the towelettes that come prepackaged at your favorite buffet restaurant. Below you'll find some of the reasons that these little wonders are so important.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step 1: GERMS: Cleansing towelettes can help to get rid of germs in an emergency situation. When your body is stressed out during a disaster, your immune system may not be as strong, and this increases the need for you to wash your hands on a regular basis to prevent disease. You may also be touching more unsanitary items than normal, so make sure to use a moist towelette before you touch your face or anyone else's face. This will help you and others to stay as healthy as possible during a natural disaster.

Step 2: WOUND CARE: Cleansing towelettes can come in handy when you need to care for a wound, as normally they are packaged individually in such a way that they avoid contact with contaminated items. When you are in a disaster zone, you are much more likely to get an infected wound because your surroundings are in a shambles. If you have a good stock of cleansing towelettes and some bandages, you can help to prevent dangerous and uncomfortable wound infections.

Step 3: WATER PRESERVATION: Finally, cleansing towelettes can help you preserve your sterile water supply during a natural disaster. The last thing that you want to do is waste sterile drinking water on cleaning, wiping, or sterilizing. If you have a good stock of cleansing towelettes, you won't have to worry about whether or not you will have to use your drinking water for something other than hydration.

Step 4: Knowing what you know now about the importance of cleansing towelettes, make sure that your emergency survival kit contains them, and then make sure that you have additional stock on top of what is provided in your kit. Your health will thank you!

How to Know Why You Need a Pocket Multi-Tool for Emergencies

By anniewrites, eHow Member

Pocket Multi-Tool

A pocket multi-tool is an important item to have conveniently stashed in the trunk of your car in case of emergency or disaster. Unless you have a work truck with a huge toolbox filled with everything you might need in an emergency, the chances are good that you do not regularly carry basic tools in your car. With all of the running around you do for groceries, hauling kids, and going on road trips with lots of luggage, you probably don't have room for a huge toolbox of tools. This may be especially true if you have an auto emergency survival kit in your trunk (and you should!).

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step 1: You need a pocket multi-tool incase you need to FIX your CAR. You might find that you need to remove a part or get to something that involves undoing a screw or using a wrench. Wouldn't it be a pain to be stranded on a country road somewhere, with no cell reception, no traffic, no help, and have no way to try and fix your car? A pocket multi-tool can help you by making sure you're not totally on your own with a dead car. On another note, make sure you have the manual to your car!

Step 2: A pocket multi-tool can help you if you need to SURVIVE in the wilderness. If you're someone that likes to go camping or take back roads, you need to have a pocket multi-tool incase you need to survive in the wilderness while you are waiting for help. If your car breaks down and this dandy tool can't help you fix it, it can at least help you to survive while you wait for someone to rescue you.

Step 3: You might be able to help SOMEONE ELSE. Your pocket multi-tool might come in handy if you have to stop and help someone along the road who is having car trouble. If they do not have tools of their own, your little tool may just save the day.

Step 4: Armed with three good reasons why you should have a pocket multi-tool in case of emergency, check your auto emergency kit to see if it already has one. If not, you can find tools with many functions just about anywhere. Be sure to get one and stash it in your trunk. You never know when you might need it!

How to Use Emergency Blankets

By anniewrites, eHow Member

Emergency Blankets

Your emergency survival kit has emergency blankets as part of its content, but what do you do with them, and how do you use them? You might wonder how such a small package can contain something that will actually help to keep you warm or cool. It's true that they're not exactly miracle workers, but emergency blankets do serve many purposes in emergency situations. Here, I will list some of the more common ways that people use them.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step 1: Emergency blankets can be used to stay warm. Wrap the blanket around the person in need of warmth. You want to wrap it tightly but not too tightly, and it's generally recommended that you cover the feet, entire body, and most of the head. A larger individual may require two blankets to be adequately covered. Try to position the person on as dry of land as possible and with as much sun directed at them as possible. The blanket keeps the person warm through using the sun on its reflective surface.

Step 2: Emergency blankets can be used to keep a car cool if it breaks down on a hot summer day. Place the blanket, reflective side up, over the windshield on the car. If you have extras, you can place them over the windows and the rear windshield as well. This will help to keep the car cool.

Step 3: Emergency blankets can be used to create shade where there is none. Hang the emergency blanket above you, with the reflective side facing up. Instant shade!

Step 4: Emergency blankets can be hung next to a campfire to make the area where you are sitting warmer. Place the reflective side towards the fire and enjoy the toasty warmth!

How to Use an Emergency Rain Poncho

By anniewrites, eHow Member

Emergency Rain Poncho

Emergency rain ponchos have many uses during natural disasters or when you are lost in the wilderness. If you have an emergency survival kit, chances are good that it contains one or more ponchos, but after reading this you may just decide that you want to get some extras to keep on hand. Just make sure that you get a good quality emergency rain poncho that has electronically welded seams. Sizing may vary, but a good general size to look for is 52"x80."

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step 1: An emergency rain poncho can be used for keeping dry in the rain. I know this one is obvious, but it's still the tried and true use for a good poncho. Making sure that you have a good quality poncho of a heavyweight material is of utmost importance here. There's nothing more annoying than getting a tear in your poncho and ending up all wet.

Step 2: An emergency rain poncho can be used as a wind breaker. If it is not rainy out but it's cold and windy, you can layer your rain poncho over your clothes and tie it so that it is tight. It will help to keep you warm by preventing the wind from going through your clothes.

Step 3: An emergency rain poncho can be used to carry items that can't get wet on a rainy day. Say you need to haul a bunch of books and you didn't bring a bag from them. It's raining and you're afraid they will get ruined. No fear, just use your trusty poncho as a pouch to carry your books and your problems are solved. Now, let's just hope that you have an umbrella or else you might need two rain ponchos, one for you and one for the books!

Step 4: Rain ponchos can be used for an emergency shelter. They can be tied and fastened to a tree using rope to provide you some shelter if you are stranded in the wilderness. It's not quite the Hyatt, but it's better than nothing, right?

How to Choose Emergency Flashlights

By anniewrites, eHow Member

Emergency Flashlights

It's hard to underestimate the importance of emergency flashlights. Have you ever had the power go out during a storm of one kind or another and not been able to find batteries for your flashlight? You bump around in the dark, trying to remember if you have batteries and where they are. Finally, you give up or light candles instead, which can pose a greater fire risk in inclement conditions. This article can help you to figure out what kind of emergency flashlights to purchase for your family so that you are not stuck in the dark during your next power outage.

Instructions
Difficulty: Easy

Step 1: Investigate emergency light sticks. Many emergency survival kits come with light sticks that glow for twelve hours at a time. You can also purchase these light sticks seperately. They are a budget option at only $1-2 a pop. You could purchase several to keep in different locations, such as beside your bed, in your trunk, at your desk, or in your kitchen. You will never have to worry about not having batteries again and you will not break the bank with this option.

Step 2: Think about self generating emergency flashlights. These flashlights are neat in that the only thing you need to do to power them is to shake them before turning them on. They are mid-range emergency flashlights at around $15 each. You will save money on batteries over the life of the flashlight and you won't be stumbling around in the dark and stubbing your toe trying to remember where you stashed them.

Step 3: Look into combination emergency flashlights. Combination flashlights use battery power, solar power, and crank power to opperate. They often come with AM/FM radios so that you can stay in touch with weather reports in the event of a power outage. These units are more expensive at around $20-25 each but you have multiple options for powering them and the added bonus of being able to stay in touch with the latest in weather reports.

Step 4: With these three options in emergency flashlights you will never have to be in the dark during an outage again!

How to Prepare an Emergency Food Supply

By anniewrites, eHow Member
Emergency Food Supply

An emergency food supply is an essential part of the necessary preparations for natural disasters or other catastrophes. It would be horrible to find your family without the nourishment needed for your bodies to function in harsh conditions. Can you imagine trying to wade through water, climb over fallen trees, or shovel while dehydrated and starving? Make sure that you do not find yourself in that situation by taking a small amount of time to prepare an emergency food supply that will take care of your family.

Instructions
Difficulty: Easy

Step 1: Determine how many people you will need to feed with your emergency food supply. Count yourself, your children, any neighbors that might come to you for help, as well as pets that may depend on you to meet their basic needs. If you are determining the needs of an organization such as a church or a school, factor in the number of members (or students), number of workers, and number of people from the community that might rely on you for help.

Step 2: Figure out how much food you will need for your emergency food supply stash. Factor in about 2400 calories per person each day. Your body's caloric requirements may go up when conditions are harsh and you do not want to skimp. For a family of five, that would equal 12,000 calories per day. If you want a 72-hour survival kit, you would need 36,000 calories worth of food.

Step 3: Figure out the type of food to purchase for your emergency food supply stash. You could use nonperishable canned goods but containers might rust and they are heavy and bulky. Calorie dense emergency food bars might be a better bargain, as they are lightweight, compact, and come in packaging designed to withstand the elements.

Step 4: Calorie dense food bars generally come in 1200, 2400, or 3600 calories per bar. Take the number of calories you need to purchase, say 36,000, and divide that by the number of the calories in the bar to figure out how many you need to purchase. So, 36,000 divided by 3,600 equals 10. You would need to purchase 10 of the 3,600 calorie food bars for an emergency food supply that would last a family of five about 72 hours under extreme conditions.

Step 5: Finally, find a retailer online or in your area that sells emergency food supply products and tell them what you are looking for. It is standard stock most places and they should be able to help you out!

How to Know Why You Need Sterile Water for Emergency and Disaster Preparedness

By anniewrites, eHow Member

Sterile water or water purification tablets are included in most emergency and disaster survival kits on the market. You might wonder why this is necessary or if you can just store your own tap or bottled water for use in case of emergency. The truth is that dirty water kills 5,000 children everyday and the importance of sterile water can not be underestimated.

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Instructions
Difficulty: Easy
Things You’ll Need:
Sterile water or water purification tablets.

Step 1: Understand that diarrheal diseases are what is responsible for most of the water contamination related deaths of children under 5. Children's immune systems are more fragile than healthy adult immune systems; and children can easily become seriously ill from contaminated water. In emergency and disaster preparedness, the number one priority needs to be keeping our children safe.

Step 2: Figure out how much water you will need in case of disaster or emergency. You do not want to skimp in this area, as water is just about the most important supply you can purchase. Most emergency and disaster preparedness kits that are designed for 72-hour survival contain either sterile water (in boxes or mylar bags) or water purification tablets. However, to be truly prepared for an emergency situation, it is recommended that each person have access to one gallon of water per day. Most kits do not contain this volume of water, so it is wise to purchase additional water yourself.

Step 3: Learn the parameters for storing regular water for emergency and disaster preparedness. Under certain circumstances, and with great care, you may be able to store your own water, though it may be easier to purchase sterile water or purification tablets. Clean water can be stored in jugs for up to six days under sanitary conditions. Treated water can be stored in 55 gallon drums, tested regularly, and kept for six months under sanitary conditions. Bottled water that you purchase from your supermarket can be kept for six months, as well. The iffy part of storing your own water is the "sanitary conditions" part. Remember hurricane Katrina? Sanitary conditions were hard to come by!

Step 4: Learn why regular store bought bottled water can only be kept for six months for emergency and disaster preparedness purposes. Unlike sterile water, regular bottled water does not come in packaging intended for extended storage. The plastic begins to break down after a period of time, making the water taste like plastic (and then you're actually CONSUMING plastic particles when you drink it), and ultimately the bottle will crack and become unsanitary. If you forget to replace your bottled water after the 6-month shelf life is up, you may find yourself in a natural disaster without access to clean water. You'd better hope you have some water purification tablets!

Step 5: Understand what water purification tablets can and can not do. Water purification tablets can make water bacteriologically safe to drink. They kill bacteria. From an emergency and disaster preparedness standpoint, this is a good thing if you're say, stranded out in the wilderness and do not want to become dehydrated. You can use the tablets to create sanitary drinking water. What is the down side to tablets? Tablets do not make sure that water has the right balance of minerals. This might not be a big deal for a short term emergency, but over the long haul, a dangerous load of certain minerals consumed through drinking water can cause serious health problems. The other issue with water tablets has to do with what to store the purified water in. You would need to somehow come up with a sanitary container to store water in. Depending on your situation, this might present a challenge. Still, water purification tablets DO have their place in emergency and disaster preparedness, as they will assure that you have clean drinking water as long as you can find someplace to store it.

Step 6: Now that we understand a thing or two about water purification tablets, it's important to learn about the benefits of sterile water (in boxes or pouches) for emergency and disaster preparedness. Sterile water has a shelf life of 5 years. It is a long-term preparedness solution. The packaging is durable and the water is so clean that it is suitable for cleaning wounds. So, the water has multiple uses. Not only will you be well hydrated, but in case of injury, sterile water can help to prevent infection. Sterile water can be kept in a wide range of conditions, from extreme heat to extreme cold. Pouches double as ice packs when frozen, which is helpful in case of injury or the need to keep food cold. Boxes are easy to tote. Does sterile water have a down side? Sure, the weight. Water is heavy and not always practical to carry with you. For a home emergency and disaster preparedness stash, though, it is hard to beat sterile water.

Step 7: Now that you have a basic understanding about sterile water and water purification tablets for emergency and disaster preparedness, make sure that you gather the supplies you need to ensure your family has access to clean water. You nver know when you might need those supplies. Your health and the health of your family and friends depends on it.

Are you ready?

Disasters can come in many forms; they can appear in the blink of an eye; they can come while you sleep, work, or play; they can take people and things we love and care about; and they can take our lives if we do not take steps to better prepare for them. On my job we take Smith Driving training which helps employees learn how to drive better and avoid accidents. One key theme in this training is that the best time to avoid an accident is before it happens. The same thing holds true for disasters, whether they are natural or manmade. The best way to survive them is by preparing before the disaster occurs.

New payment offering on the way

In order to make purchasing emergency supplies more economical, we will be adding a new lay-a-way program to our existing list of payment methods. Stay tuned for further details.

William Kinsey
President

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